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Senior Reporter
BINGA villagers are crossing over into neighbouring Zambia to illegally sell fertiliser secured under the Presidential Input Scheme to support the agricultural  sector. Chronicle visited Binga this week and established that some villagers in the district were diverting the inputs to Zambia.

They reportedly sell a 50kg bag of both ammonium nitrate and compound D fertilisers for prices ranging between $20 and $50. Locally the retail price for a 50kg bag of fertiliser ranges between $15 and $16.

The district administrator for Binga, Mrs Lydia Banda-Ndethi confirmed the development.
“We have received a report that some villagers who benefitted from the Government sponsored farming inputs programme are selling fertiliser in Zambia where there is a ready market.

“This is an illegal practice and we are working with police so that the culprits are arrested. We already have some who have since been convicted for the offence.

“Binga is a drought prone district and most villagers  cannot afford to buy inputs resulting in the Government chipping in by providing them with the farming inputs, but sadly you find some people selling those inputs,” said Mrs Banda-Ndethi.

She said the district has so far received 90 tonnes of fertiliser under the programme and the inputs are already being distributed in different wards.

The basic input package under the programme comprise 10kg of maize/small grain seed, 50kg compound D fertiliser, 50kg ammonium nitrate fertiliser and 50kg lime to improve the quality of the soil.

Chief Charles Saka also expressed concern over the practice by villagers.
He promised to work with the police in identifying the culprits.

“We are really worried about people who illegally sell fertiliser to Zambian farmers. Those involved in those dealings should be punished by the law and it is the responsibility of everyone in the community to assist police in identifying the culprits.

“We do not condone such practice and it has to be stopped forthwith,” he said.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, said the 2013-14 season was the last in which the Government would provide direct input support to farmers as focus would now turn to subsiding manufacturers to lower input costs.